American Legion Post 197 will conduct the Pike County National POW/MIA Recognition Day observance Friday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. on the courthouse square with several items on display until 3 p.m., including a POW/MIA table and chair memorial, as well as a POW/MIA fact sheet and the military biographies of the Pike County former POWs and current MIAs.
“The National Prisoners of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) Recognition Day Observance Program honors our current MIAs, and past and current POWs around the Nation,” said Post 197’s Bryan Richardson. “Currently, Pike County has four known MIAs: Seaman 2nd Class David E. Ledford, Staff Sergeant Joel M. Matthews, Private Marion B. Smoot from WWII and Chief Petty Officer Willie L. King from the Vietnam War. Pike County has four known former POWs. Now deceased from WWII are Major Marvin H. Campbell from the Meansville area and Corporal John N. Scott and Private Marion B. Smoot from the Molena area and former POW Specialist Sixth Class Lenard E. Daugherty from the Vietnam War who currently resides in Williamson, Pike County.”
Starting at 10:45 a.m. and on the hour every hour until 2:45 p.m., the Post 197 Honor Guard will set up the POW/MIA Table setting with an explanation of the significance of each item on the table. Post 197 will be at an American Legion/Veteran information table and the U.S. Army Recruiting Station, Griffin will be manning an Army information table. Concurrently, Post 197 will conduct an American Legion membership drive and voter registration. The public is invited to stop by the memorial and observe the setting of the formal POW/MIA table and chair.
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